Specially designed instruction (SDI) must be delivered to address the unique needs of students with Individual Education Programs (IEPs) (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act [IDEA], 2004). SDI may be delivered within the general education classroom. Removal to a separate classroom is NOT necessary to provide this type of instruction and may in fact impede access to the general education curriculum.

Access to the general education curriculum is one of the most compelling rationales driving construction of appropriate IEPs besides being a legal requirement of IDEA, 2004. The following three IEP requirements are designed to move student involvement and progress in the general education curriculum forward:

In the Differentiation and TechnologyPodcast, Mark Hofer Professor at the College of William and Mary, describes the role of technology in supporting differentiated instruction. He shares strategies and provides examples of how to most appropriately integrate technology into instruction to support specific student needs.